Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-01-22
A STRANGER III GOTHAM.
NEW YORK A CITY PRACTICALLY
WITHOUT ALLEYS.
Cause OF the Blockades In Streets and
OF sidewalks-A Truckman Who was
a sweil-cnrious People In Big Cities.
Some Queer ~stauran

on Sidewalks-A Truckman Who was
a swell-Curious People In Big Cities.
Some Queer restaurants.
Especial Correspondence
New YORK. Jan. 10.-The stranger In New
York is almost always impressed early and
forcihly by the number OF boxes and bales of
goods blocking the sidewalks, and the num-
herless skids over which he is constantly
forced to climb when out walking. And
though he will, no doubt, admire the imperial
bigness of the metropolis, he will be sure to
compare this state of the sidewalks in the
largest city of the continent with their con-
dition In other cities, and invariably to the
~latters' credit. Then, if he be of an inqniring
turn of mind, he will try to discover the why's
and the wherefores of this difference, and of
course will at first attribute it to lax admin
istration on the part Of the street department
But the real reason is this: there are prac-
tically no alleys in New York-that is in
lower New York-the busiest part of the
city.
This being the case, it is, of course. out Of
the question for truckmen to dump their
goods anywhere but on the sidewalks, and
equally impossible for them to receive loads
anywhere but on the streets. Skids are q
necessity in the taking on of heavy loads, and
if the loading is done on the streets, they
must be laid across the sidewalks.
1t is this same lack of alleys that causes
many of the street blockades that are such an
annoyance, and induce so much and such
variegated profanity o IN the part of drivers
and pedestrians. If a truckman who is his
own master, and whose compensation there
fore depends upon the number of loads he
hauls a day, can bear these jams without los
ing his temper, you may set him
down as a persoti of very equable dis
position. Once in a while a truckman is
round who is a genuine philosopher, and the
other day l ran across one who combined the
characteristics of the philosopher and the
small swell in a fashion that amazed his fell
low truckmen and called forth from them a
volley of uncomplimentary remarks.
1t was on Ann street, a t~horoughfare about
half as wide as a Chicago alley. The day
was raw and cold and the pavement was Gov
cred some inches deep with a half frozen
mixture Of snow and mud and water. Our
truckman had soiled his shoes and in brush.
ing against a wheel had smeared his coat
with mud. The blockade gave him an OPP
portunity to make himself smart again.
Seeming satisfied that 1t would last long
enough for that purpose, he drew from under
his high seat q wisp broom with which he
neatly busted both his coats. Then he got
out a backing box and brush and put an
ENAMEL of jet on his shoes, after which he
drew from his pocket a hand glass and comb
and began dressing his purple dyed mus
tache.
Several other truckmen who had, up to this
time, simply watched the toilet maker with a
sort Of contemptuous interest, evidently
thought this was too much, for they broke
| forth iii a discordant chorus of cat calls and
cries OF:
"He's a dudelp
"Myt what a masher it isl"
Jaw, como OFF,
"Look at the shwellln
Besides some other remark that would
hardly do to reproduce here. But the "dude"
didn't care. Maybe he expected to drive by
the house of some bright eyed yycang woman
before his load was delivered and wanted to ap-
pear speckless in her eyes. Anyway, he kept
right on just as IL no one had said a word
about it.
A great city is like a wilderness in one re-
spect-it tends to develop all sorts of strange
characters. This may be because where there
are SO many people all intent upon their own
business, a retiring sort of person is left alto
gether to himself, and the crooks and turns Of
his nature, uncorrected by close association.
with other natures. unfold themselves with.
out let or h~indrance. Among some OF the
strange people l have seen here is a man who
Is doing q remunerative business on a well
known street in lower New York, who will
not meet u mar face to face if he can posi-
bly, avoid it. He was pointed out to me the
other day, lodging along between walk and
pavement on q side street at q busy hour. OF
course there must be q reason for this strange
freak OF his, but I do not know what it is.
Some time, perhaps, l may find out and write
1t dow for you benefit
Another strange character Is q woman of
so, who lives all by herself "oyer in Jersey
somewhere. At precisely 10 o'clock every
day she enters q certain well known restau-
rant in New York, and seating herself at one
OF the tables orders a dinner, always calling
for the same yiands'and always paying the
same sum therefor. She comes to New York
every morning, and going TO the Battery sea
wal passes an hour or more looking longingly
out toward the ocean. 1t is legend that her
husband was lost at sea years ago while her
cheeks were still red and her eyes were still
bright, but no one knows for certain that il
IL q true one; and as those who nave tried
to find out have been ignominiously repulsed
every time, it is quite likely she will continue
to keep her secret, for a while at least.
Next to people with strange characteristic
come people who follow strange callings,
Prominent In this class Is a man who has bull,
up q fairly profitable business in back mum.
bers OF newspapers. His establishment Is In
o shanty like structure near one of the I
roads, and isn't at all imposing until the Wis
itor gets inside and down into the little cellar
he calls the vault where he keeps his pa
pers. There are enough old newspapers in the
back-number-man's cellar to kindle a great
many kitchen fires, but the using Of These
papers for such a purpose would be pretty
expensive business, for some OF them are held
at good round prices.
Upon the corners of the numerous thorough
fares running into West street, along the
North river, you may see a sort Of "cafe'' no.
found In many American cities. They arr
nothing more nor less than boxes. about s BY
IL feet in size. In one endof each Is placed q
stove, upon which the smoke begrimet
African, who Is the genius Of the establish
ment. prepares the food. A narrow shelf run,
along the entire length Of the interior OF tn,
box. Things to eat can be bought at ridlcu
lousy low prices from these little establish
ments. There is one great advantage to tn,
proprietor, in running one OF these feed boxes
over the regular, every day restaurant. Wher
business is poor In any given locality, til,
"boss" puts his "cafe" upon a truck and re
moves to a better neighborhood, without ever
taking his stovepipe down. Here are som,
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